Adding Altitude To Your Bucket List

Shelli Mitchell Gerlach July 10, 2008

One morning a few months ago, I was sitting up in bed recovering from a difficult surgery I had just 10 days earlier. My energy was zapped, my optimism waning, and I hadn’t seen my own kitchen in almost as many days. Full recovery was going to take longer than I had anticipated. Not being able to move around much, I flipped on the TV and saw several promotions for the newly-released blockbuster hit, “The Bucket List”. The clips were inspiring! It got me to thinking about my own bucket list of goals and dreams that I wanted to accomplish yet in life.

I was contemplating my list that morning when my sister-friend Bec, a transplant Seattleite and kindred spirit in outdoor adventure, posed the idea of climbing Mount Rainier together. She knows that a worthy challenge is a great motivator for me. Indeed, a climb of mountainous proportion takes time to think about, and I certainly had plenty of that given my temporary circumstance. While I had enjoyed hiking on a number of mountain ranges in Colorado, Montana and Washington State, I hadn’t considered what it would take to pursue some serious altitude climbing. Before I could give Bec an answer, I had to determine for myself what it would require.

Are you thinking of adding altitude to your own bucket list? Like me, if you are setting your sights on a climb of mountainous proportion, you will first need to consider a few “Mountaineering 101” basics in making this decision:

  1. Know yourself. This includes an honest assessment of your physical conditioning, tolerance to varying weather conditions, how well you acclimate to increasing altitudes, and your mental capacity for adventure. Mountaineering requires both thorough and thoughtful preparation in each of these areas in order to increase your odds of summiting successfully and with enjoyment. The most common reasons for terminated climbs are altitude sickness, inadequate physical conditioning, and unfavorable weather. While you can’t do anything about the weather, the next best way to offset a premature ending to your expedition is to be well-prepared mentally and physically. You must understand your own capabilities and limitations, inside and out.
  2. Choose a reputable and well-experienced guide service. There is a very good reason for this; simply put, expert guides know the mountain and its pathways well. They log in hundreds of hours and dozens of climbs on a particular mountain in order to make your trek a safe and enjoyable one. Most guides are hired through commercial guide services which offer instructional mountaineering schools for the novice and advanced climber. The sessions are led by climbing experts who are passionate about safety and helping you reach your goals. You will find these services to be incredibly informative, fun, and well worth the investment.
  3. Assess what equipment you will need. Outfitters and mountaineering schools generally provide a comprehensive list of equipment needed for your particular expedition. Some climbs only require the basics of a good pair of hiking books, appropriate clothing, and maybe walking poles. Other climbs require substantial gear such as an alpine pack, mountaineering ax, harness, helmet, crampons and camping equipment. Most anything you would need is available for a reasonable rental fee; however, you may want to invest in your own boots and outdoor wear to ensure a personalized fit. There are a number of gear lists found on the Internet. AlpineAscents.com has an especially helpful listing of specific trekking gear needed for a number of mountain expeditions worldwide. Check it out: http://alpineascents.com/gear-lists.asp.
  4. Set reasonable expectations. Attempting any technical climb, even in favorable weather, does not guarantee that you’ll have success reaching the top. For example, expedition guides for Mount Rainier report that on average, only a little more than 50% of climbers actually reach the summit. Altitude sickness, inadequate physical conditioning, and weather conditions - ranging from extreme heat to whiteout blizzards - can hamper your attempt to reach the top. Guides know this full-well and have a healthy respect for the mountain while keeping your safety in mind. They will do all they can, within reason, to help you reach your climbing goal. Ultimately, your physical conditioning - and Mother Nature – determine if you’ll be allowed to summit the peak on that particular day. Focus on the enjoyment of the ascent and you will surely be rewarded for your efforts.

Whether or not you decide to add mountaineering to your own bucket list, I for one, have decided that it is a worthy opportunity to include on mine. The preparation and training in the months ahead will no doubt be difficult; yet for me, the simple journey in exploring an adventure of new heights is both exhilarating and highly satisfying. Happy list-making!


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